ATEED. Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy. aucklandnz.com/ateed 2016/17 HIGHLIGHTS

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1 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy aucklandnz.com/ateed 2016/17 HIGHLIGHTS

2 HE MIHI E tū noa ana nga maunga whakahii i te riu o Tāmaki Makaurau. E whakaruruhau ana i nga ahikaa mai tawhiti. E maumahara ana i te nguha a Mataoho. Rātou kua poto ki tua ō te ārai, e moe e okioki. Tātou te hunga ora e kawe ana i te aronganui mō te pai me te whai rawa ō Tamaki, tēna rā tātou katoa. The volcanic cones of Tāmaki Makaurau stand as sheltering monoliths to the people from an ancient heritage who have kept the home fires burning as a symbol of remembrance of Mataoho whose rage created this beautiful landscape. To those who have passed into the night, may you find eternal rest. For those of us who have been left behind to build the most liveable city in the world, greetings to us all.

3 Introduction 3 Contents 01 Build a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship 8 Why & How? 9 Achievements 10 What s next? 11 Cooking up indigenous food opportunities 12 The power of connections 13 Capturing Māori business success 14 Big ideas take out DigMyIdea Attract new business and investment 15 Why & How? 16 Achievements 16 What s next? 17 Lights, camera, action 18 Staple diet of achievement 19 Casting the talent net 20 Auckland the one for BMW Grow and retain skilled talent 23 Why & How? 24 Achievements 25 What s next? 26 A focus on jobs and skills 27 International connections 28 Building blocks 28 Students tackle rugby Grow the visitor economy 30 Why & How? 31 Achievements 32 What s next? 33 They came, saw and competed 34 ACB delivers for Auckland 35 Dark Sky Sanctuary Promote Auckland s global identity 36 Why & How? 37 Achievements 38 What s next? 39 All Black great s love of Auckland 39

4 4 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy Foreword The opening of Kumeu Film Studios was a great example of how Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) can intervene to help transform one of Auckland s key high-tech and foreign investmentattracting industries to increase Auckland s productivity and ultimately its prosperity. The studios are the result of a landmark agreement between ATEED on behalf of Auckland Council, the private land owner, the New Zealand Film Commission (on behalf of the Government), and international film studios Warner Brothers and Gravity Pictures. Our screen attraction specialists helped to convince the international screen giants of the site s potential as a studio for their feature film MEG, and the partnership has delivered a worldclass facility with a state-of-the-art dive tank, an outdoor ocean tank, green screen, and two new sound stages due to be completed in early 2018 all funded by private sector investment. The studios are now leased by ATEED and have already been used by other productions which in addition to MEG have delivered tens of millions into Auckland s regional economy, supporting local businesses and creating jobs. The studio precinct concept is something ATEED has worked on for several years, incorporating the knowledge gained from the successful GridAKL innovation precinct development which has shown how building innovation-based industry infrastructure can support a growing city. Our overall work programme is driven by a strategic framework based on five key priorities. This highlights document is presented around those priorities, and includes just some of the success stories in what was a great year of delivering tangible results for Auckland s economy. Few of our achievements would have been possible without the valued input of our diverse partners. Our cornerstone principle of kotahitanga or shared purpose drives our collaboration with many private and public sector organisations. This year, our major focus was again to increase the prosperity of all Aucklanders through the growth of an innovation-based, export-focused economy. At the heart of our work is a mission to enhance Māori business, tourism and major events and therefore significantly lift Māori social and economic well-being. As part of Council s wider priorities, we continue to increase our focus on programmes which help to reduce social inequality particularly through creating employment pathways for young Māori and Pacific Peoples. We again helped to deliver a range of initiatives which encourage youth entrepreneurship. I am proud to present the economic growth highlights we delivered on behalf of Council this year, and thank the ATEED team for its outstanding dedication and contribution to our region. David McConnell ATEED Board Chairman

5 Introduction 5 ATEED DELIVERS FOR AUCKLAND Build a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship Attract business and investment Grow and retain skilled talent Grow the visitor economy 100+ $341m $76m participation in ideastarter and DigMyIdea Māori Innovation Challenge new GDP from foreign direct investment and screen production deals youth attracted to #BuildAKL and JobFests new GDP from major events portfolio investment (with DHL New Zealand Lions Series figure still to come) 70 innovative businesses in GridAKL, Wynyard Quarter Opened the Kumeu Film Studios Contributed to growth in international student spending in Auckland Contributed to 27ha $150m 2.6m international visitor arrivals Watch a video of Auckland s big year of major events.

6 6 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy

7 Introduction 7 MORE MAJOR ACCOLADES FOR AUCKLAND International Economic Development Council s Excellence in Economic Development Awards GOLD - SPECIAL PURPOSE WEBSITE (population > 500,000) Auckland Innovation Dashboard - BRONZE - SPECIAL PURPOSE PRINT BROCHURE (population> 500,000) Smart Move Brochure - 4TH - FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT STRATEGY fdi Asia-Pacific Cities of the Future rankings (fdi Intelligence division of the Financial Times) 2017/18 TOP MEETINGS AND CONFERENCE DESTINATION IN AUSTRALASIA World Travel Awards 2017 MOST INNOVATIVE TOURISM BOARD Virtuoso Alliance Partner Awards 2017

8 Build a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship

9 Section 1: Build a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship 9 Why? Auckland wants to be an innovation hub of the Asia-Pacific region. Our long-term prosperity depends on being a place where smart thinkers want to be, and want to start innovation-driven businesses which target global markets from day one. We need a culture of innovation and an environment which makes it easy for entrepreneurs to start and grow a business in Auckland s globally competitive advanced industries. Innovation-driven businesses grow faster and employ more skilled Aucklanders in higher paid jobs. They attract investment from multi-national companies and individual investors. How? ATEED s main role is to enable, facilitate and connect. We partner others including corporates, industry clusters, government agencies, universities and research institutions to build an environment which supports innovation and collaboration, and to expand and link locations across Auckland where innovation occurs. We also invest Council funds in facilities and programmes which help innovative Auckland businesses start, thrive and get ready to export. Through the GridAKL Wynyard Quarter precinct, the AR/VR Garage, and The FoodBowl Te Ipu Kai, we are focused on developing infrastructure which supports innovation and entrepreneurship in key advanced industries which invest in research and development, and have workforces with higher levels of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills these sectors typically grow faster, export more and pay better at all employment levels. We work in partnership with Māori business leaders to deliver a range of interventions which develop Māori business capability and grow Auckland s Māori economy.

10 10 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy Achievements Auckland s journey towards being a major innovation hub of the Asia-Pacific region has made major strides with more significant milestones for GridAKL Auckland Council s innovation precinct at Wynyard Quarter including the opening of the first new building within the precinct, 12 Madden St, and the refurbished Mason Brothers building. GridAKL s first permanent premises, the refurbished Lysaght Building, now houses nearly 70 businesses, with about 170 staff. About 80 per cent of the businesses at GridAKL are considered innovationled, which is well above the target of 70 per cent. GridAKL hosted numerous innovation ecosystem events during the year, providing opportunities to showcase the region s innovation capability to international speakers, investors and entrepreneurs, and drive collaboration among people attending events. This year, residents were also offered drop-in mentoring sessions. The success of last year s Techweek event we curated saw it become a nationwide event for the 2017 edition held in May, delivered by NZTech with our support. Auckland was the venue for about 100 Techweek events including the Magnify VR event, the Blockchain conference, and FOOD+TECH with a number held at GridAKL and another Council infrastructure initiative, the AR/VR Garage. Below GridAKL Madden St has excellent spaces for workshops A number of announcements were made during Techweek highlighting the success of our activities, including fuelling foreign direct investment into local technology firms. This figure has increased from $51 million to $173m in the last year, largely due to events we helped to deliver or support being used as a platform for overseas businesses to announce their growth into the New Zealand market. In the year ended June 2017, another of our innovation infrastructure investments, The FoodBowl Te Ipu Kai, engaged with 243 high-value processed food companies on projects, with 60 per cent of these companies going on to use The FoodBowl to undertake trials or production to validate, commercialise and export their products. We partnered the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research to deliver the inaugural Auckland Economic Symposium in March. About 120 leaders from across government and industry gathered to discuss issues such as economic infrastructure, and how to increase Auckland s productivity and prosperity. In July 2017, 200 business leaders and employers gathered to support youth employment at the Future Ready Summit we jointly hosted with BusinessNZ and the Sustainable Business Council. The summit was for business leaders and employers to create opportunities that will advance youth employment in Auckland. Above The new GridAKL building in Madden St, Wynyard Quarter

11 Section 1: Build a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship 11 We facilitated numerous Starting Off Right workshops and free clinics for small business operators. These were among the more than 5000 connections we facilitated during the year between companies and experts/programmes. While some of our programmes are designed to people who are already in business, we deliver a number aimed at fuelling the next generation of entrepreneurs. They include ideastarter (a competition for year-olds), the DigMyIdea Māori Innovation Challenge (read about that on p14), and the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) in schools across Auckland. In the 2016 school year, about 1000 students formed 200 YES companies. They maintained Auckland s record of excellence in the national YES competition with seven awards. In 2017, about 1400 students from 56 schools are taking part. We will help to deliver further ideastarter competitions and DigMyIdea Māori Innovation Challenges to keep inspiring Aotearoa s top emerging entrepreneurs to turn their innovative ideas into reality. We will support Māori economic development outcomes through the implementation of transformation initiatives generated by ATEED s Māori Growth programme and Council s wider Te Toa Takitini programme, and by working closely with central government agencies and the Government s He Kai Kei Aku Ringa partnership. We will increase the capability of Māori businesses in specific sectors including digital/ tech, food and beverage, and creative. A key focus will be local economic development through our advice and support to the region s local boards. We will enhance links between GridAKL and emerging co-working and innovation precincts such as Grow North, Uptown (Mount Eden), Smales Farm, and AUT Millennium. We will continue to fuel the growth of SMEs by delivering the Regional Business Partner Network programme in partnership with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and through ATEED s local teams. At the full day event, global experts, business leaders, and talent acquisition experts debated major trends which are reshaping how people work. The summit included an announcement of a further $1m funding from the Tindall Foundation for youth employment programmes, and the signing of the region s district health boards to the Auckland Youth Employment Pledge. The focus of ATEED s business and enterprise initiatives is to connect businesses to resources that help them grow and innovate. Read more about one of the companies we helped on p13. In the 2016/17 year, we actively managed 1100 businesses across Auckland through our delivery of the Government s Regional Business Partner Network programme. Our team helped small to medium enterprises receive more than $1.8m in New Zealand Trade & Enterprise capability vouchers; and helped companies successfully apply for $3m in Callaghan Innovation research and development grants. What s next? We will continue to develop collaborative initiatives to support the competitive sectors of Auckland s economy that contribute significantly to growth, employment and prosperity. Our focus industries include high-value foods and beverages, the tech sector, screen and digital, human performance, advanced materials, and high-value manufacturing. We will continue to grow the GridAKL community, both in terms of the physical innovation precinct and the wider ecosystem, including collaborating on the third Techweek with NZTech. Above The winners of the 2017 ideastarter competition

12 12 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy COOKING UP INDIGENOUS FOOD OPPORTUNITIES Auckland s capability in the food and beverage (F&B) production sector is already world class, but we have seized an opportunity to support emerging indigenous F&B groups alongside work being carried out by organisations including Council s The Southern Initiative, the Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand, and Council agency Panuku Development. The idea is to help fledgling Māori, Pacific and other community groups to develop their food propositions, increase their capability and growth, create new or use existing pathways to market, and leverage our expertise and networks. We are collaborating with Panuku and Council to help indigenous F&B groups access skills, knowledge and suppliers, and to provide commercial food production facilities which enable the groups to be compliant with food safety requirements. Panuku has some suitable potential sites for kitchens, with the first planned for Henderson in late 2017 and others to follow in Our business advisors are helping the groups connect to key networks, mentors and support, and enabling them to gain access to information to support business growth. This activity aligns with a similar project undertaken with San Francisco-based group, La Cocina, which we brought to Auckland in late The initial project phase is being funded within our food and beverage plan budget, with further funding and support from Panuku and other key stakeholders. The project will have clear deliverables, activities and target outcomes. The idea is to help fledgling Māori, Pacific and other community groups to develop their food propositions.

13 Section 1: Build a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship 13 THE POWER OF CONNECTIONS Auckland software-as-a-service company PowerStats has the knack of showing other businesses how well they are doing in their industry segment, and now is growing itself and expanding overseas thanks to connections we provided. PowerStats, established by Dima Ivanov in 2014, has developed an online benchmarking platform that analyses selected data and generates competitive market insights in real time. PowerStats formed a strong relationship with Staffing Industry Metrics (SIM) in Australia following an introduction from us. SIM benchmarks recruitment companies across more than a hundred specialised metrics. SIM switched to the PowerStats online platform under a licencing agreement and quickly expanded internationally. SIM became one of PowerStats biggest white-label clients after a major British recruitment agency with 40 branches in 14 countries started using the SIM/PowerStats platform for its global financial intelligence. Despite being guided by a formal vendor-client relationship, we are effectively working in partnership (with SIM), says Dima Ivanov. If we make SIM successful, then we are successful. Dima has high praise for the work we do in conjunction with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. They [ATEED] do a great job helping businesses grow and they do this in a variety of ways training courses, continual professional education, networking and introductions. We helped the company gain NZTE capability vouchers which it used to attend two courses on strategic selling and negotiation tactics. Above Dima Ivanov of PowerStats You only get out what you put in and by engaging in the networking events you will get help. ATEED knew about SIM in Australia and suggested we think you guys should talk, says Dima. PowerStats users log-in to view the various reports available to them, such as market trends and share, productivity and wastage. PowerStats first started operating in the marine industry, working with clusters of New Zealand and Australian diesel engine distributors and providing them with monthly sales analyses. It now works with 10 industry clusters including recruitment, marine, financial services, aluminium fabrication, and it has users in 25 countries. With the marine industry we nearly have full world coverage Europe, parts of Middle East and Africa, Russia, United States, Australia and New Zealand, says Dima. PowerStats is looking to expand its business in the United States but first it is awaiting a report from a group of MBA students in late PowerStats was accepted into the University of California, Los Angeles Global Access Programme (GAP), valued at $US17,000. Six MBA students are visiting expos, seeking out prospective partners and devising a market entry strategy into the US for the company. The programme takes up 2000 hours of the students time. Considering the fee we pay is almost entirely used for the students travel to the various expos and conferences, the programme is phenomenal value for money, says Dima.

14 14 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy CAPTURING MĀORI BUSINESS SUCCESS During the year, our specialist Māori economic development team commissioned Frontside Ltd a Māori business to film 10 two-minute success stories to showcase Māori entrepreneurship in Tāmaki Makaurau, and to increase networking capabilities of current Māori business operators. The sectors covered in these videos are cosmetics, fashion, tourism, creative industries, and food and beverage. The videos were launched in May on the Whāriki Facebook page. We also used the videos during showcasing opportunities at DigMyIdea, Techweek 2017, and at the Whāriki event at World Masters Games Watch a video of the 2017 DigMyIdea competition highlights. BIG IDEAS TAKE OUT DIGMYIDEA A handful of big digital ideas stood out from the pack to win the second DigMyIdea Māori Innovation Challenge. DigMyIdea which calls for Aotearoa s top emerging entrepreneurs to submit a digital business idea with the potential to go global is designed and delivered by us, with support from He kai kei aku ringa, the Crown-Māori economic growth partnership, Callaghan Innovation, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, NZTE, and Poutama Trust. The competition provides a new generation of young Māori entrepreneurs with a place to develop and showcase digital ideas that have the potential to go global. All finalists ideas are grounded in Māori tikanga, with digital capabilities that help to showcase Māori culture and business ideas that will benefit the wider community. The more than 90 entrants were required to outline a digital business idea with a focus on economic outcomes for Māori, and economic outcomes that may include opportunities for New Zealanders to earn income, create new business or export. Adele Sauer and her team of three from Hamilton won the Māuri tū: open category (for ages 26 and over) with a Māori sign language app called SeeCom. Nicole Calderwood, also from Hamilton who entered as an individual won the Māuri oho: youth category (ages 15-25) with Scholar+, a web-based platform that helps tertiary students find and apply for scholarships. The competition provides a new generation of young Māori entrepreneurs with a place to develop and showcase digital ideas that have the potential to go global.

15 Attract new business and investment

16 16 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy Why? Attracting overseas companies and investors to Auckland will create jobs and increase capital available to spend on innovation and business expansion in industries where Auckland is globally competitive. Some of those industries need major infrastructure development. International investors and companies can help. How? Auckland competes with cities worldwide to attract multi-national companies and investors. We take a proactive, professional, approach to marketing Auckland s investment case and building global connections: We identify opportunities in Auckland s advanced industries which will appeal to multi-national companies and investors (our target is to attract at least five multinational or New Zealand companies to the region each year, or help those already here to significantly expand). We collaborate with other agencies, international partner cities, and industry organisations to showcase Auckland s most dynamic sectors and infrastructure opportunities. This approach includes both in-bound hosting and external trade missions. We engage and assist the top multi-national companies and investors already in Auckland through a highly targeted programme. Achievements The total GDP contribution of deals completed this financial year as a result of our involvement was $341m. The value of investment deals as a result of our involvement within the financial year was $488m including six screen projects. We facilitated the arrival of world-leading global company Tesla to Auckland, among the six multi-national companies we helped to attract to the region during the financial year. Our facility to help fuel the augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) sector, which opened in September 2016, now has 20 resident companies, including a number of start-ups. We help them with their plans to grow, develop new markets, establish offshore partners and establish a brand presence. Read about one of the Garage s successful tenants on p19. AR/VR is one of the world s fastest growing and most important technologies, a major disruptor of traditional business models with potential uses in many major industries. Auckland is emerging as an international AR/VR hub for game developers, screen and film producers, animators, educators and digital storytellers. Multiple tertiary institutions now work in the Garage alongside industry, with the University of Auckland and AUT students working on a number of separate projects, including earthquake informatics, fire safety, education and children s health.

17 Section 2: Attract new business and investment 17 The support of the Garage s corporate partners including Microsoft New Zealand, Datacom, Jasmax and Hewlett-Packard, enables its tenant companies to access shared resources and technologies that they would not otherwise be able to afford. For example, Microsoft introduced its new HoloLens and Windows Holographic technology to New Zealand s AR/VR community through the Garage. We began to implement a refreshed foreign direct investment strategy this year. An example of this in effect was our support for the Government s Project Palace, which identified a serious long-term shortage of visitor accommodation in New Zealand. Our role is to support the attraction of new hotel investments by identifying viable land options for new hotels in Auckland to present to international investors. Investors from China, Japan and Australia have been shown more than 10 potential Auckland hotel sites. In June 2017, a significant Australian investor committed to a major hotel build in the central city the first outcome we generated from the project. The deal remains confidential at time of publication. Auckland s screen production industry is booming. Our Screen Auckland team again set an annual record, issuing 620 Council permits to film in public open spaces for productions worth an estimated $417 million to the region s economy. A number of significant productions were completed this year including: the 24th series of Power Rangers (US), based out of Studio West; the second season of MTV s The Shannara Chronicles (US), based at Auckland Film Studios; and Monkey (US) at Kumeu Film Studios. Australian production 800 Words is filming its third series at South Pacific Pictures in Henderson, Roman Empire (US) is back for a second season at Studio West; and the film Patterson is in pre-production and due to film at Studio West after Roman Empire completes filming. The New Zealand family feature film Kiwi Christmas, set for release in late 2017, was also filmed in Auckland. Kumeu Film Studios is a key component of the region s world-class screen industry. Read more about the studios on p18. In September this year, we took out a five-year lease on Auckland Film Studios (AFS), the council-owned facility at Henderson which is on land which will eventually be used for Panuku Development Auckland s Unlock Henderson project. The studios are a cornerstone of Auckland s screen industry until new facilities come on stream. Both Kumeu and AFS will be managed by a skilled external operator, which will allow us to focus on our core screen attraction role within the screen sector, which earns hundreds of millions a year in revenue in the region, involves hundreds of local companies and provides thousands of jobs. In November 2017, Mayor Phil Goff led an Auckland business delegation of about 100 delegates from more than 70 organisations to the third Tripartite Economic Summit in Guangzhou, China. We held a number of pre-summit workshops to help the delegate companies increase their knowledge of doing business in China, and ensure they were able to get the most out of the connections created through the summit. The sessions and delegation were supported by our partners BNZ, NZTE and Huawei. Along with a range of summit sessions, an Auckland Showcase Event put the spotlight on Auckland as a business and investment destination, and featured Auckland food and beverages. It included a contemporary Māori performance and brands promoting Auckland business ventures. Designer Kiri Nathan led a roopu of eight Māori fashion designers who each presented three pieces. The show built awareness of Auckland s dynamic Māori economy and its creative sector. The designers were invited to Guangzhou Fashion Week and visited potential fabric suppliers. We expect the summit will add to the millions of dollars in deals for Auckland companies which have resulted from the first two summits in 2015 and Kumeu Film Studios is a key component of the region s world-class screen industry. What s next? We will continue our lead generation programme to attract productive investment into Auckland s advanced industry sectors particularly renewable energy and clean technologies, and high-tech food and beverage plus key projects and initiatives. Our screen team will continue to negotiate with major international film productions about them using Auckland as a base, and these efforts will be boosted by the Kumeu Film Studios new sound stages opening early next year, and the confirmed five-year time frame for AFS to continue operating. A key focus will be on attracting international investment into new residential and commercial developments, in addition to hotels. We will continue to help Auckland companies identify and progress opportunities created by the Tripartite Economic Alliance after the third summit in Guangzhou. We will manage the successful transition of the AR/VR Garage from its Eden Terrace location to another site where it can continue to be a core component of Auckland s innovation ecosystem; and continue to explore opportunities for Auckland to become a financial services technology hub. Watch highlights from Auckland s delegation to Tripartite Economic Summit Guangzhou 2017.

18 18 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION The 27ha Kumeu Film Studios were established this year thanks to a landmark partnership between ATEED, government agency the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), the private land owner and major international studios Warner Bros and Gravity Pictures which filmed their major feature film MEG there and on the Hauraki Gulf. Our Screen Auckland team led the development of the studio facility out of warehouses and open land, with a memorandum of understanding between the partners which supported the Government s approval of Warner Bros and Gravity Pictures receiving a New Zealand Screen Production Grants 5 per cent uplift. The agreement included the studios agreeing to a significant level of marketing of Auckland as a film destination. This private and public sector partnership recognises the significant economic, cultural and industry development benefits that MEG will bring to New Zealand, says NZFC Chief Executive Dave Gibson. Below The outdoor ocean pool and giant green screen at Kumeu Film Studios The studios development for MEG included Warner Bros and Gravity funding construction of the first two film studio water tanks ever built in New Zealand: an indoor 5m deep, 1.3 million litre dive tank with pure heated water; and an outdoor 3m deep, 2.5 million litre ocean horizon tank backed by an 864 sq m green screen wall. The studio also has a 4036m2 sq m stage, production offices, a sought-after forested back lot, and a workshop and manufacturing space. We lease the site from the owner, and within a short time of opening bookings had covered our operating lease costs for year one, with strong demand into 2018 from producers in China, the US and around New Zealand. The studios are also a significant asset for marketing Auckland and New Zealand internationally as a screen production destination, and the partnership ensures that Auckland s screen sector has access to the powerful marketing support of Warner Bros and Gravity Pictures, which are two of the most influential producers in Hollywood and China respectively. Above Kumeu Film Studios world-class indoor dive tank Those connections are extremely valuable for Auckland s thriving screen industry, which in 2016 earned more than $970 million in production revenue including $431 million from overseas. Our close collaboration with the NZFC ensures maximum benefit for both Auckland and New Zealand. Barrie Osborne, executive producer of MEG, stated: It is great to have an additional facility in New Zealand; a place I know well. I love to produce films there. The crews are innovative, enthusiastic, a collaborative group of technicians. On each film I ve produced with them, I have found they all share a common interest and that s to make the best film possible. The Government s consistent support through its grants for screen productions gives industry and the private sector confidence to invest this includes the owner of the Kumeu site, who funded two new 2,500m2 sound stages which will open in early 2018 and add to the world-class assets already on site. Following the completion of MEG, the studios have been used for production of the Netflix-distributed television series Monkey and the feature film Adrift, produced by STX Entertainment. This studio complements existing private sector and council studio infrastructure which we continue to support through the work of Screen Auckland. Statistics NZ s latest data shows Auckland s screen production and post production sector earned $972 million gross revenue in 2016, employed thousands of skilled people in high-paid jobs, and supported more than 300 businesses. Auckland accounted for 64 per cent $431 million of the country s total gross overseas production revenue. The involvement of Gravity Pictures in the MEG agreement is significant. China is the world s second largest film market, and continues to grow exponentially. China is reshaping the global film industry through co-production and outbound direct investment. Through our work with the NZFC, and industry and agency partners, we have launched a series of programmes to further leverage the opportunities from China.

19 Section 2: Attract new business and investment 19 Staples has already completed some exciting projects including a VR video called Escape My House for the New Zealand Fire Service and the video had more than eight million views on social media. Above Aliesha Staples Watch the Escape My House video for NZ Fire Service STAPLE DIET OF ACHIEVEMENT Fast-moving Auckland company Staples is making the most of a surge of interest in virtual reality (VR), firmly at the cutting edge of producing live action VR content. Staples VR and Rentals, founded by Aliesha Staples in 2014, was one of the first tenants in The AR/VR Garage, a unique innovation hub for ambitious augmented and virtual reality companies we are delivering on behalf of Council. Being together and talking with others in the same sector, some with different skill sets, is very helpful, says Aliesha. The garage has helped push us in front of people locally and internationally. It gives us (the garage as a whole) the ability to pitch on bigger international jobs. Staples has already completed some exciting projects including a VR video called Escape My House for the New Zealand Fire Service and the video had more than eight million views on social media. The video shows a clothes rack catching fire which spread to the ceiling within 40 seconds and made the room un-survivable in less than 3 minutes. It was a call to action to make people talk about an escape plan and make it out of a house fire safely, says Aliesha. A fire is deadly fast and the video is so realistic it can save lives. Before filming, Staples had to develop a VR camera that would withstand the high temperatures. We were told it couldn t be done but the more testing we did the more we realised we could build a heat resistant camera, says Aliesha, winner of the Young Achiever category at the 2017 New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards. The result was the world s first fireproof VR camera system. Staples, working with the Auckland District Health Board, has produced the world s first patient preparation VR video for children. The game was created in the real world of Auckland s Starship Hospital, and using the HTC Vive headset, children can experience the reality of having MRI and Cat Scans, X-rays and radiotherapy before the procedures actually take place. The video uses animated robots to explain what is happening and to put them more at ease. If we can [use VR to] help reduce the number of children being sedated for the procedures, then that is amazing, says Aliesha. The hospital project is our pride and joy it was technically difficult to do. Staples is promoting the VR game to other hospitals in New Zealand and overseas, and it can be bought online. In conjunction with Mercury Energy, Staples told the story of six-year-old Eli, paralysed from the neck down and since April 2016 living most of the time at Starship Hospital. Staples gave Eli a 360 degree virtual reality experience of friends at school and family on the dairy farm. It made him feel closer to home even though he was 600km away. We can capture VR content for elderly people in rest homes they can t fly but they can view their grandchildren in their home environment overseas, says Aliesha. The opportunities are endless and a pipeline of work is happening. Working with us, Staples has created virtual reality Auckland tourism content which will be displayed at trade expos. One of the projects was filming the release of the first kiwi on Motutapu Island. Staples has opened a Melbourne office and its staff grew from two to 10 in nine months. Following an introduction from us, Staples is talking with Callaghan Innovation and NZTE about research and development and business support and further extending its 360 degree vision.

20 20 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy CASTING THE TALENT NET We led an Auckland collective at the Developer Week Conference and Festival 2017 in San Francisco in February. Auckland was promoted as tech s best kept secret to attract skilled software professionals to live and work in Auckland and help fill skills gaps in one of our region s growth industries. Immigration New Zealand provided visa support and advice. Interest in Auckland as an emerging tech hub was strong, with 1500 software developers attending the Hiring Mixer. Partner feedback on the event was positive, and Auckland businesses followed up with prospective candidates. This year, there has been a focus on our Auckland A Smart Move activations to promote Auckland as a destination to work, study and do business. This includes attracting migrant and expatriate talent to fill Auckland s skills shortage, particularly in construction, technology, food and beverage professional services, teaching and high-value skill areas more broadly. The Auckland A Smart Move campaign was used during showcasing opportunities such as the DHL New Zealand Lions Series 2017, where we had a physical hub/drop-in space for work, study and business-related enquiries at the Queens Wharf Auckland Fanzone. We also initiated a widespread online marketing campaign. This included directing traffic to smartmoveakl.com to capture business leads. SMART MOVE YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING AND WORKING IN AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND Watch the Auckland A Smart Move video Why Auckland Living in Auckland Need to know Interest in Auckland as an emerging tech hub was strong, with 1500 software developers attending the Hiring Mixer.

21 Section 2: Attract new business and investment 21 The shoot is a great example of why Auckland is a sought-after location for global television commercials. AUCKLAND THE ONE FOR BMW Our Screen Auckland team helped Martin Scorsese s cinematographer, Rodrigo Prieto, shoot the global ad campaign for the new BMW 1 Series across the city in January. The three-day shoot was a challenging one for our team to facilitate, with the City Rail Link works underway, and a number of road closures required to meet the production s needs. The shoot s tight time frames meant multiple crews were in operation over different locations on the same day, including Auckland Harbour Bridge and in Victoria Park Tunnel. Auckland-based company Flying Fish produced the ad for BMW, with Prieto as director of photography. Our team began its rigorous feasibility and consultation process with major stakeholders three months before the shoot, working with organisations including NZTA, Auckland Transport, Pānuku Development Auckland, emergency services, and Cooper & Co. The shoots required some streets to remain clear of parked vehicles for filming, some street lights to be turned off, and comprehensive traffic management plans. Flying Fish brought in a Russian arm tracking vehicle for the shoot, and used drones, camera tracks, other tracking vehicles and boom lifts for ancillary lighting. The BMWs used for the shoot were left-hand-drive vehicles brought in from overseas and in some locations were driven on the wrong side of the road, requiring the road closures and plans. The shoot is a great example of why Auckland is a sought-after location for global television commercials, some of the $400 million international screen productions spend in Auckland each year. Watch the BMW 1 Series video filmed in Auckland

22 22 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy

23 Grow and retain skilled talent

24 24 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy Why? Talent is the lifeblood of any successful city, and nurturing a talented workforce with a strong skills base is identified internationally as key to developing an innovation and knowledge-based economy. We need to ensure Auckland produces skilled future workers and attracts the right international talent to support high-growth innovative businesses. We also need to ensure talented students (both school and tertiary) have clear pathways into our region s advanced and growing industries. How? We work with agencies such as Immigration New Zealand, Auckland Chamber of Commerce and key employers to support the attraction of migrant and expat talent into Auckland industries where there are clear skills gaps. We partner government and tertiary education providers to identify and support training in industries with shortages such as science, engineering and ICT. This starts with digital learning in schools. We collaborate with a range of partners to support youth employment through various initiatives and programmes, and partner Education New Zealand to retain talented international students and provide pathways into Auckland s advanced industries.

25 Section 3: Grow and retain skilled talent 25 Achievements Along with our partners, we are driving a number of initiatives to help fill Auckland s 32,000 construction job vacancies, as well as considerable demand in hospitality and tourism. Our strategy is to tackle the shortage from two directions: through helping to upskill youth and providing pathways to employment; and by proactively attracting talented migrants. In the 2016/17 year, another 12 companies committed to Auckland s Youth Employer Pledge initiative, which we deliver as part of the Tindall Foundation-funded Auckland Council Youth Connections programme which also includes JobFests New Zealand s largest youth employment events. By July 2017, nearly 66 companies were part of the pledge campaign well above the 50-company target. Thousands of young people attended the 2016/17 financial year s two JobFests. The first, in September 2016, was held at The Cloud in Auckland s CBD where 80 employers from industries including hospitality, retail, tourism, ICT, and construction and infrastructure offered more than 800 full and part time positions. This was followed by a second event in South Auckland which had a particular focus on young Māori and Pacific job seekers and featured 1250 jobs across 75 businesses. An estimated 1500 young people attended. Another JobFest was held in October 2017, with about 1000 people registering to attend the event in Henderson. The BuildAKL campaign introduced at September 2016 s JobFest was a great success (read more about it on p28). To boost skills in the tourism industry, we are collaborating with the Ministry of Social Development, ServiceIQ, Tourism Export Council, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and Tourism Industry Aotearoa on the concept of a tourism industry skills attraction campaign for Auckland using the successful #BuildAKL programme as a template. In February this year, The CBD Jobs and Skills Hub was officially opened in Wynyard Quarter see more on p27. The regional partnership we signed with Immigration NZ in 2014 continues to make significant progress towards remedying the skills shortage for high growth potential Auckland companies. The partnership enables Auckland businesses to attract and retain migrants who have the skills and inward investment that Auckland needs to enhance its economy. In October 2016, we helped the investor migrant division of Immigration NZ organise and connect with potential investors for four attraction events in the US including the All Blacks test in Chicago (we did not attend). We began an aftercare programme to help integrate 180 Auckland-based investor migrants admitted under the Government s Global Impact Visas programme into the region. Our Study Auckland team continued to grow pathways for the region s more than 80,000 international students into Auckland-based employment post study. This included the development of four tertiary graduate video stories (subtitled in seven languages) to which showcase pathways to employment in Auckland. This work is in partnership with Education NZ, Immigration NZ, Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and specialist ICT employment service provider Industry Connect. Research for Education NZ indicated the economic value of Auckland s international education industry in the 2016 academic year was $2.25 billion 63 per cent of the New Zealand market. ATEED is a member of the Auckland Agency Group, which includes the Ministry of Education, Education NZ, MBIE, New Zealand Police, Ministry of Health, and the Human Rights Commission. The group aims to improve the wellbeing of international students based in Auckland. As part of that work this year, a Safety in the City video was produced which covers advice on personal safety, employee rights, and sexual and mental health. Study Auckland partnered Education NZ to launch a new international student experience programme to ensure that international students make the most out of their time in Auckland, and to help high-value sectors attract the best and brightest international talent into companies. Read about students tackling rugby on p29.

26 26 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy To gather customer insights that will help Auckland education institutions increase their international student satisfaction rates, interviews were conducted with 80 key industry partners, including international and domestic students, education institutions, companies and community organisations. There were 16 nationalities represented, including key markets China, India, the US, Japan, Vietnam and Brazil. The priority themes identified included improving students access to trusted destination information, better integration with Auckland s youth, more preparation for the workforce, and opportunities to experience New Zealand sport, tourism and Māori culture. These themes will be used to shape the Study Auckland 2017/18 programme. The ATEED Auckland International Education Conference was attended by more than 160 international education industry stakeholders. The theme of the conference was building Auckland s reputation as a destination for international students. We will continue to expand the programme being delivered by the CBD Jobs and Skills Hub. What s next? In 2017/18, we will continue to work with our partners to build on the success of youth employment initiatives including JobFests and Auckland Youth Employer Pledge. We will continue to expand the programme being delivered by the CBD Jobs and Skills Hub. We will continue the trial LinkedIn campaign for the Auckland Make the Smart Move talent attraction initiative in support of Auckland s tech sector, promoting Auckland as a great choice for career and lifestyle. We are partnering Immigration NZ, business and industry to target and attract LinkedIn members based on sector and skills profiles (focusing on tech and construction). Partners on board include Fiserv, Invenco and Teknique, with others to follow. There will be a focus on the activity with Immigration NZ focused on attracting migrants and returning expats into skills gaps in Auckland. Study Auckland will deliver further initiatives to grow Auckland s proposition as an international student destination including the design of a student sport and Māori youth leadership funding project with the Ministry of Education s student wellbeing strategy, and design an international ICT graduate boot camps funding project with industry partners, Immigration NZ, and Education New Zealand. Watch part of the Safety in the City video

27 Section 3: Grow and retain skilled talent 27 A FOCUS ON JOBS AND SKILLS The CBD Job and Skills Hub opened in Wynyard Quarter in late February 2017 a partnership between ATEED, Pānuku Development Auckland, government agencies (Tertiary Education Commission, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, the Ministry of Social Development) and industry. Our role was to lead the hub s establishment, within a one-year project timeframe, and the work has progressed well. Work brokers are busy placing people into jobs with employers delivering construction and infrastructure projects in Auckland s city centre such as the lead contractors within the Wynyard Development including Hawkins, and LT McGuinness. By September 2017, more than 80 per cent of the successful candidates had come off the Work and Income NZ register. About half the candidates had been Māori or Pacific people. The hub was delivering in line with its performance targets, and working with employers to identify upskilling opportunities prior to, as well as during, employment. We are working with Pānuku s mana whenua governance forum to enable iwi engagement and amplify opportunities for Māori. The hub provides job brokering services and skills training services based on industry demand. The initial focus is the construction sector a key driver of Auckland s economic growth, but the sector is finding it hard to recruit people with the right skills, and demand forecast to keep growing. The hub concept builds on the successful Ara Jobs and Skills Hub at Auckland Airport, and the Tāmaki Jobs and Skills Hub being led by the Tāmaki Regeneration Company. Watch a video on the CBD Jobs & Skills Hub Above The CBD Jobs & Skills Hub was developed to help unemployed people find jobs amid the city s construction boom

28 28 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy As part of this agreement, 120 Korean students majoring in aviation, tourism and hospitality will study in Auckland for 12 months. INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS Our Study Auckland team was successful in developing a new partnership between the Korean training institute Koguryeo College and three private tertiary institutions in Auckland. As part of this agreement, 120 Korean students majoring in aviation, tourism and hospitality will study in Auckland for 12 months, and will attend the Auckland Institute of Studies, Academic Colleges Group, and Cornell Institute of Business and Technology. The annual course fees for 120 students are $3.5m (including accommodation). Living costs (not including travel) are approximately $624,000 making this opportunity worth approximately $4.1m to the regional economy. We also partnered with Immigration New Zealand to deliver employability seminars for science, technology, engineering and maths students at the University of Auckland, NTEC, MIT, and Massey University. The team also worked in partnership with Immigration New Zealand and IT talent company Industry Connect to deliver an ICT software development talent boot camp for 15 graduates seeking professional employment in Auckland. BUILDING BLOCKS Major companies including Fletcher Building, Downer, Hawkins, and Watercare partnered on our #BuildAKL campaign and encouraged youth into construction and infrastructure employment and careers. The target for the 12-month social media-based campaign, which finished in September 2017, was to attract 4000 young people under 25 years either into employment or education and training pathways. By July, the campaign had more than 3000 Facebook followers; more than 650 job seekers entered the #BuildAKL competition to win one of 10 four-week job placements with ATEED s construction industry partners. Ten winners started paid work placements with seven employers in mid-january Their experiences attracted 2500 followers. The final months of the campaign focused on connecting the target audiences (people aged under 25 years particularly women, Māori and Pacific peoples) to careers and entry-level jobs. Watch highlights of the successful BuildAKL campaign

29 Section 3: Grow and retain skilled talent 29 We launched the Rugby, Have a Go initiative in partnership with Auckland Rugby Union and New Zealand Rugby. It provides international students with a chance to develop connections, be part of the Auckland community, and experience our Kiwi culture. STUDENTS TACKLE RUGBY The power of New Zealand s national sport has united nearly 160 international students from 50 countries as far away as Africa, the Middle East, and South America, who are taking part in a special programme introducing them to the national game. We launched the Rugby, Have a Go initiative in partnership with Auckland Rugby Union and New Zealand Rugby. It provides international students with a chance to develop connections, be part of the Auckland community, and experience our Kiwi culture. The response has been fantastic, with the camaraderie and inclusion out on the rugby field. The programme is part of our goal of helping international students have a great time in while studying in Auckland an experience they share with their friends and family. It s not all been about playing in combined Rippa rugby teams each session also incorporated personal development elements and skills such as discipline, responsibility, leadership, self-confidence, accountability, problem solving and team work. One of the days also included teaching the students basic te reo Māori pronunciation and waiata. Daniel Campbell from St. Lucia and the Grenadines is completing his thesis in a Master of Engineering at the University of Auckland, and is a rugby convert after attending the programme. It has definitely encouraged me to take up rugby as a sport, I am keen to continue training and playing with a local club eventually, he says. I enjoyed meeting new people and learning drills and proper rugby techniques and strategy, playing games, as well as the awesome advice. Watch a video of international students enjoying a taste of Kiwi rugby and culture

30 Grow the visitor economy

31 Section 4: Grow the visitor economy 31 Why? High-value visitors inject new money into the economy and create jobs for Aucklanders particularly in the service sector. Major sporting and cultural events, attractions and experiences, restaurants and shopping precincts which appeal to visitors also help make Auckland a more exciting place to live, and a more attractive place for migrants, businesses, investors and students. International business people who come to Auckland for conferences, or major events such as global sporting tournaments are ideal targets for tailored programmes to showcase the region s opportunities for investment or business expansion, and for local export businesses to connect with. An enhanced visitor economy will contribute to Auckland s emergence as a global city. How? We explore all cross-industry opportunities connected to the visitor economy. For example, we help bids for business events connected to Auckland s growth industries, and create specific business-showcasing events to coincide with global sporting tournaments. We market Auckland to high-value visitors from around New Zealand and from select target countries who can deliver the most economic impact including: tourists interested in golf, equine, marine and screen activities (including super yacht owners); and business event attendees. Our focus includes ensuring the region s strong Māori identity and contemporary culture are woven into the visitor offering, and we help to develop Auckland s Māori tourism capability. We collaborate with various local and international organisations and companies to market Auckland as a unique destination not an arrival and departure point. We build partnerships with agencies and the industry to increase Auckland s ability to bring in and cope with more visitors, including the growing cruise ship market. We work with partners to build a world-class major events portfolio, and build our annual international business events schedule. We identify gaps in Auckland s visitor attraction offerings and work with partners to fill them.

32 32 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy Achievements With more than 28,000 registered athletes, supporters and officials from 100 countries, World Masters Games 2017 held in Auckland in April was the biggest multiple sports event that New Zealand has ever hosted. At its conclusion, Auckland s games was dubbed the best ever by the President of the International Masters Games Association, Kai Holm a significant accolade for the city and ATEED, which invested in and delivered the games on behalf of Council through a specially created subsidiary company, World Masters Games 2017 Ltd (WMG2017). Read more about the games on p34. The DHL New Zealand Lions Series 2017 involved three games in Auckland a Blues match, and two tests. It was another superb opportunity to showcase Auckland to an international audience, and the Lions fans delivered a significant injection to the region s GDP and visitor nights. We partnered government agencies to deliver a programme to connect Auckland businesses with potential investors and partners who followed the Lions as supporters. We filmed video destination content featuring All Black great Sir John Kirwan as an Auckland ambassador for distribution through Lions series consumer channels, and to assist in supporting social media activation with highlights for use in the live broadcasts to increase Auckland s profile. Learn more about that campaign on p39. On behalf of Council, we invested in a portfolio of nearly 30 major cultural and sporting events in 2016/17, and supported a number of sporting franchises. Together, they injected an estimated $76 million into the regional economy and generated more than 550,000 visitor nights. They included the hugely successful second Tāmaki Herenga Waka Festival, New Zealand Fashion Week, Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical, and ITM Auckland Supersprint. Our strategic approach is to focus our marketing and partnership-based activities on high-value visitors from Australia, China and the United States, and the success of that approach is contributing to a booming visitor sector highlighted by another record-breaking summer with 1.15 million arrivals during the peak December 2016-March 2017 period, and a record spend of $3.13 billion. Visitation from the US during summer was up 28 per cent a key contributor to the 7.1 per cent overall growth compared to the previous summer, which itself had grown 12.4 per cent from the summer of 2014/15. The US growth indicates the value of our medium to long-term strategy to raise Auckland s profile in the US market through partnerships with high-end operators such as Virtuoso (the world s top luxury travel network) and American Express. Our annual agreement with Virtuoso includes a comprehensive marketing programme, and an AR/ VR component that was developed in collaboration our Business Attraction and Investment team. A Virtuoso Study Tour took place in early June. We hosted 16 VIP travel advisors from the Virtuoso network in partnership with Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand. They experienced Auckland s diversity including Waiheke Island, the west coast and Matakana, helping to shift their perceptions and provided greater confidence for them to include Auckland products in their clients itineraries. We were a partner of the Down Under Answers Tourism Exchange held in Auckland in May. This event connected travel suppliers with 60 of North America s best destination specialists who collectively produce more than US$10m in combined annual revenue across Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, Asia and Africa. February 2017 saw the busiest-ever week for cruise ship arrivals, highlighted by the first time four cruise ships had docked in Auckland on the same day. The 2016/17 cruise ship season which began in October 2016 and ran until the end of September 2017 was another strong one, with more than 100 ship visits into Auckland bringing more than 240,000 passengers and large numbers of crew. The ships visits injected an estimated $197m into Auckland s economy and supported more than 3000 jobs.

33 Section 4: Grow the visitor economy 33 Our Auckland Convention Bureau team continued to deliver for Auckland. During the 2016/17 year, we submitted or supported nearly 30 major international business event bids for Auckland. Read about the ACB s success on p35. Our programme to connect with Chinese high-networth investors through the golf, equine, marine and screen (GEMS) sectors continued to build significant relationships with key influencers including partners such as Mission Hills China, New Zealand Bloodstock, China Cup Regatta, and the Wanda Group. We again sponsored activity at the annual New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Millions in January and worked closely with New Zealand Bloodstock to welcome and host international buyers, premiere sale vendors and top New Zealand buyers. International buyers accounted for 64 per cent of the $82m spent at the sales. A project with The Institute of Golf in Albany was aimed at attracting and providing investment opportunities for investors from Asia and the US. The collaboration included filming eight videos for LeTV, one of the most popular sport media channels in China. They show Auckland as a premiere must do golf destination for high-end Chinese golf enthusiasts. Developing the capability and assets of regional tourism clusters is a key focus for us, and one great outcome this year was Great Barrier Island becoming the first island in the world to be designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Read more on p35. In September 2017, the first ever LPGA event in New Zealand was held at Windross Farm course, with our support. The McKayson New Zealand Women s Open, and the presence of Auckland s former world number one Lydia Ko, was an opportunity for us to showcase Auckland to the Chinese and Korean markets. In partnership with the Institute of Golf and Tourism New Zealand, we launched The Search a project to attract outstanding and talented amateur players from China to visit Auckland and attend the LPGA event. We were also able to facilitate a sponsorship agreement for the tournament with Qatar Airways. Auckland was one of the host cities for Rugby League World Cup We worked with Eden Park and Mt Smart Stadium on Auckland s bid which resulted in the region hosting two matches. What s next? In 2017, Auckland councillors approved a new Accommodation Provider Targeted Rate process to fund our region s initiatives to grow the visitor economy, primarily from hotels and motels in certain areas of Auckland. We are working with Council s CCO Governance and External Relationship team on the targeted rate s governance structure and what industry involvement is required, and will have a key role in delivering the scheme from We will work with industry to develop a fresh strategic framework for the key components of Auckland s visitor economy: tourism, major events, business events and international education, and frame up a new Destination Auckland Strategy (revised Auckland Visitor Plan). The development of the strategy will involve extensive consultation with industry, local boards and the public (Auckland residents and New Zealanders outside of Auckland). We will continue to grow our international consumer marketing presence in key target markets alongside partners including Tourism New Zealand, Auckland Airport, and Flight Centre Australia; and partner with Tourism New Zealand and the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) to attract major business events to Auckland. Watch the highlights of the Auckland Diwali Festival We will grow the extent of the successful regional tourism clusters to help increase connections and promote local areas, and continue to improve how we provide information to visitors, particularly through digital channels and the i-site network. We will continue to support the development of the Māori tourism sector and connect Māori tourism operators to international trade marketing agents and their marketing channels.

34 34 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy THEY CAME, SAW AND COMPETED The World Masters Games 2017 team delivered outstanding results for the region: a GDP injection of $34.3m and more than 241,000 visitor nights both well above the targets set. The Games injected a further $28.7m and more than 61,500 visitor nights around the rest of New Zealand. Participants took part in 28 sports at 48 venues, from Woodhill Forest and Torbay in Auckland s north and west, to rural south Auckland and neighbouring Waikato (rowing and track cycling). Council invested $11.75m in WMG2017, but the success of the games was greatly aided by the support of partners. The Government made a financial commitment of $11m, and corporate sponsors contributed $4.6m as well as significant activation and leverage programmes. We also focused on seizing the business opportunities created by having nearly 17,000 international visitors in the region, delivering the first comprehensive business showcasing and networking programme in games history. This helped Auckland businesses to connect with potential investors, partners and distributors. The goals of the business leverage programme were to maximise economic outcomes, and to build Auckland and New Zealand s brand as a major event, business and visitor destination. It included an Auckland A Smart Move Seminar for participants interested in working, studying or doing business in Auckland; a tour of Auckland s innovation ecosystem; a drop-in hub and networking lunches at GridAKL; and an event hosted by the Whāriki Māori business network which included a waka sailing and networking opportunities. Representatives from Japan s Kansai region visited Auckland during WMG2017 to promote the 2021 event it is hosting. They included about 125 Kansai companies, led by the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren). We hosted a leverage and legacy session Auckland: The Ultimate Sport City on 30 April, as requested by the Kankeiren. The event was delivered with support from the Japan New Zealand Business Council. Watch the highlights of World Masters Games 2017

35 Section 4: Grow the visitor economy 35 ACB DELIVERS FOR AUCKLAND Global competition to host high-value business events and conventions is fierce, but our Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB) team continues to deliver for our region. The economic value of the events won by ACB, in conjunction with ACB members and industry partners, was $46 million from the 58 business events it helped Auckland win in the year ending July The region hosted more than 28,000 international and domestic delegates between June 2016 and July 2017 high-value visitors who stayed a total of more than 124,000 visitor nights. However, the benefits of hosting business events extend beyond the financial impact, and while not as easy to measure, hosting these events are valuable contributors to growing a city s knowledge economy. Hosting business events is another way to promote Auckland on the world stage, bringing people together to build new relationships, research partnerships, and can even over the longer term attract investment and talent flows. ACB is also able to further strengthen Auckland s appeal as a premium business events destination by leveraging the expertise and connections that come from being part of Auckland s economic growth agency. This has resulted in more of a strategic focus when bidding for business events that align with Auckland s advanced industries the commercial services sector and knowledge intensive services. Auckland is forging a reputation as a world-class destination for business events, and a global hub of innovation and knowledge exchange. The additional capacity Auckland will have when the NZICC opens in 2019 means the region has already been able to compete for, and secure, a number of large scale international conferences in 2020, with more in the pipeline. Major bid wins confirmed include the Teochew International Federation Convention 2019 which is expected to attract 3000 delegates, create visitor nights and deliver $5.5 million into Auckland s economy; the World Veterinary Congress 2020, with 3000 delegates, 16,900 visitor nights, and an estimated economic value $6.2 million; and the Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics 2022: 1000 delegates, 6900 visitor nights, estimated economic value $2.4 million. New Zealand s knowledgeable food industry network and Auckland s strong business event offering helped secure the International Union of Food Science and Technology 20th World Congress of Food Science and Technology, which will be held at the NZICC in ACB with support from Tourism New Zealand worked with the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) to develop the winning bid for the five-days event which will bring together 2000 of the brightest minds in food science, research and innovation from more than 60 countries. The event will contribute an estimated $4.25 million to the Auckland economy. Anne Scott, NZIFST President, said it had wanted to bid to host this event for some time but previously didn t have the resources which is where Tourism NZ and ACB stepped in, with funding through the national Conference Assistance Programme, and specialist help. Auckland was named the top meetings and conference destination in Australasia at the 2017 World Travel Awards. This is the first time Auckland has received this award, which in recent years has been won exclusively by Melbourne. Dubbed the Oscars of travel, the annual awards are voted on by senior members of the international travel industry as well as high-end consumers. Auckland Convention Bureau continues to attract major conferences to the region Watch a stunning time lapse of Great Barrier Island s dark skies

36 Promote Auckland s global identity

37 Section 5: Promote Auckland s global identity 37 Why? Promoting Auckland nationally and internationally is critical. Every great city has a great global identity and positioning. An identity is a complete value proposition that sets a city s characteristics apart from its competitors. A clearly articulated global identity for a city is important to attract tourists, students, talented migrants, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and major events and the associated measurable benefits they bring. ATEED s role is to support and promote Auckland stories of success within the city that have global and international appeal. How? We develop brand identities specifically for domestic and international markets, and work with partners to ensure they are used by all organisations which market Auckland. We promote Auckland s brand and identity consistently across all business, tourism and major event activity. We ensure Māori identity, which is a key point of difference for Auckland, is included.

38 38 ATEED Leading the successful transformation of Auckland s economy Auckland received two Excellence in Economic Development Awards which recognise the world s best economic development programmes and partnerships, marketing materials and leaders for initiatives we designed. The first award a gold was for the Auckland Innovation Dashboard, which highlights Auckland s growth as an Asia-Pacific innovation hub through a publicly available dashboard of data which highlights Auckland s improving innovation performance and benchmarks it performance against the region s international peer cities. The second award, a bronze, was for a brochure for the Auckland A Smart Move campaign, which helps our priority to attract talented migrants to the region. During the year, we worked with Google on a project to capture Auckland landmarks and attractions with not only historical significance, but also those with tourism benefits. Google captured Rangitoto and Tiritiri Matangi Islands, and the Hillary Trail. Several key marketing campaigns positioned Auckland as a vibrant city of events and worldclass visitor experiences. In June, we launched the third annual joint marketing campaign Eat AKL with Heart of the City promoting Restaurant Month. The three-month campaign promoted the event outside Auckland with a focus on Wellington and Christchurch. A joint Facebook marketing campaign for Auckland began in February, in collaboration with Tourism New Zealand and Auckland International Airport. The target audience was leisure travellers in Australia. Using the 100% Pure brand, the campaign used the tag line Auckland. One City. Two Worlds. It showcased Auckland s urban and natural landscape, and aimed to show Australians the exciting experiences they can have in Auckland on a 3-5 day getaway. The campaign was the first time we have run a major Auckland-specific digital activation with Tourism NZ in Australia. The spring domestic marketing campaign, More to Explore, again featured Robyn Malcolm in video diaries showcasing regional gems. It was recognised by 61 per cent of the market (overall across both Auckland, and out of Auckland), which was a very strong result. Achievements In April 2017, we launched a new version of Aucklandnz.com which receives more than three million unique visits annually. We operate the website as the region s global shop front promoting Auckland as a place to invest, grow or start a business, produce screen projects, study, migrate, or visit (including attending major sporting, cultural and business events). The revamped website provides better value for money and is now on a significantly more stable and efficient web platform which will enable us to generate future revenue, and allow better data collection. It also features geo-targeted functionality which allows tailored content such as event information depending on visitors physical location; an improved site-wide search function; and optimisation for use with mobile devices (nearly half the people who visited aucklandnz.com in the past year did so from a mobile device, and this proportion is rising). The website makes it much easier for visitors, businesses, investors and Aucklanders to find the information they are after and improves our ability to deliver Council s economic growth objectives. Auckland s growing reputation as a leading innovator within the global economic development community was reinforced with two key projects receiving prestigious international accolades from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in September Watch a video showcasing Waiheke to the Downer NRL Auckland Nines Audience Jenny-May Clarkson presented Auckland s World Masters Games Destination content

39 Section 5: Promote Auckland s global identity 39 We maximised Sky TV and Fox Sports Australia destination coverage received as part of its partnership with the 2017 Downer NRL Auckland Nines by developing a series of two-minute clips featuring NRL players which showcased Piha Beach, Hunua Ranges, Waiheke Island and Rangitoto Island. The clips were also promoted via our Visit Auckland Facebook channel and recorded more than 230,000 engagements (likes, shares and comments), a reach of more than 750,000, and almost one million impressions. We worked with New Zealand Māori Tourism to facilitate a visit to Rangitoto Island for Kiwi NBA star Steven Adams and an Oklahoma City Thunder delegation. The itinerary involved two Māori tourism operators, Sea Fury Charters and Te Haerenga walkway. A promotional video was created which received 14,000 views on Facebook in the first month. Sir John Kirwan is playing a starring role in a new campaign encouraging Aucklanders to get out and explore the Auckland region on their weekends. What s next? We will continue to develop the region s domestic brand. This will include the extension of current campaign initiatives and new initiatives. We are add new features to aucklandnz.com to improve the experience for users and create efficiencies. We will continue to identify future commercial opportunities that create desirable outcomes aligned to the Auckland Plan, and pursue partnerships to deliver them (i.e. the public private partnership to light Auckland Harbour Bridge). In parallel with Global Auckland s next phases, we will continue to develop the region s domestic brand. This will include the extension of current campaign initiatives and new initiatives. We are going to refresh aucklandnz.com to improve the experience for users and create efficiencies. ALL BLACK GREAT S LOVE OF AUCKLAND Sir John Kirwan is a passionate Aucklander an ideal ambassador to help show Aucklanders the vibrant, diverse and dynamic experiences the wider region has to offer. The All Black legend agreed to feature in six videos we developed which highlight some of Auckland s lesser known activities and experiences. There will be a shorter version as a TV commercial on TVNZ, TVNZ OnDemand, and YouTube. A large portion of visitors 30 per cent of domestic and more than 43 per cent of Australians come to Auckland to visit friends and family. Aucklanders are hugely influential in terms of what their guests choose to do and how much they spend while they re here. By targeting locals in the campaign, we hope to grow a population of engaged and proud Aucklanders who will not only play a better role as hosts, but as ongoing advocates for Auckland. This is a dream role for me. I m Auckland born and bred, and I love this city, says Sir John. I m excited to be doing my bit to help Aucklanders feel proud of the place they come from, and hopefully it means they will head out and make some new discoveries on their weekends. The campaign included a mix of online banner advertising, outdoor advertising, social media and microsite with all the videos, along with more ideas of what there is to do around the regions. Earlier in the year, we partnered NZ Rugby on an offshore brand campaign video launched in March aimed at international audiences. Within five days of the launch, the video received 120,000 views on social media. This campaign featured on Air New Zealand s inflight rugby channel from June.